Functional dissection of the chickpea (Cicer arietinum l.) stay-green phenotype associated with molecular variation at an ortholog of mendel’s i gene for cotyledon color: Implications for crop production and carotenoid biofortification

“Stay-green” crop phenotypes have been shown to impact drought tolerance and nutritional content of several crops. We aimed to genetically describe and functionally dissect the particular stay-green phenomenon found in chickpeas with a green cotyledon color of mature dry seed and investigate its potential use for improvement of chickpea environmental adaptations and nutritional value. We examined 40 stay-green accessions and a set of 29 BC2F4-5 stay-green introgression lines using a stay-green donor parent ICC 16340 and two Indian elite cultivars (KAK2, JGK1) as recurrent parents. Genetic studies of segregating populations indicated that the green cotyledon trait is controlled by a single recessive gene that is invariantly associated with the delayed degreening (extended chlorophyll retention). We found that the chickpea ortholog of Mendel’s I locus of garden pea, encoding a SGR protein as very likely to underlie the persistently green cotyledon color phenotype of chickpea. Further sequence characterization of this chickpea ortholog CaStGR1 (CaStGR1, for carietinum stay-green gene 1) revealed the presence of five different molecular variants (alleles), each of which is likely a loss-of-function of the chickpea protein (CaStGR1) involved in chlorophyll catabolism. We tested the wild type and green cotyledon lines for components of adaptations to dry environments and traits linked to agronomic performance in different experimental systems and different levels of water availability. We found that the plant processes linked to disrupted CaStGR1 gene did not functionality affect transpiration efficiency or water usage. Photosynthetic pigments in grains, including provitaminogenic carotenoids important for human nutrition, were 2–3-fold higher in the stay-green type. Agronomic performance did not appear to be correlated with the presence/absence of the stay-green allele. We conclude that allelic variation in chickpea CaStGR1 does not compromise traits linked to environmental adaptation and agronomic performance, and is a promising genetic technology for biofortification of provitaminogenic carotenoids in chickpea

Ecology and genomics of an important crop wild relative as a prelude to agricultural innovation

Domesticated species are impacted in unintended ways during domestication and breeding. Changes in the nature and intensity of selection impart genetic drift, reduce diversity, and increase the frequency of deleterious alleles. Such outcomes constrain our ability to expand the cultivation of crops into environments that differ from those under which domestication occurred. We address this need in chickpea, an important pulse legume, by harnessing the diversity of wild crop relatives. We document an extreme domestication-related genetic bottleneck and decipher the genetic history of wild populations. We provide evidence of ancestral adaptations for seed coat color crypsis, estimate the impact of environment on genetic structure and trait values, and demonstrate variation between wild and cultivated accessions for agronomic properties. A resource of genotyped, association mapping progeny functionally links the wild and cultivated gene pools and is an essential resource chickpea for improvement, while our methods inform collection of other wild crop progenitor species

Functional Dissection of the Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) Stay-Green Phenotype Associated with Molecular Variation at an Ortholog of Mendel’s I Gene for Cotyledon Color: Implications for Crop Production and Carotenoid Biofortification

“Stay-green” crop phenotypes have been shown to impact drought tolerance and nutritional content of several crops. We aimed to genetically describe and functionally dissect the particular stay-green phenomenon found in chickpeas with a green cotyledon color of mature dry seed and investigate its potential use for improvement of chickpea environmental adaptations and nutritional value. We examined 40 stay-green accessions and a set of 29 BC2F4-5 stay-green introgression lines using a stay-green donor parent ICC 16340 and two Indian elite cultivars (KAK2, JGK1) as recurrent parents. Genetic studies of segregating populations indicated that the green cotyledon trait is controlled by a single recessive gene that is invariantly associated with the delayed degreening (extended chlorophyll retention). We found that the chickpea ortholog of Mendel’s I locus of garden pea, encoding a SGR protein as very likely to underlie the persistently green cotyledon color phenotype of chickpea. Further sequence characterization of this chickpea ortholog CaStGR1 (CaStGR1, for carietinum stay-green gene 1) revealed the presence of five different molecular variants (alleles), each of which is likely a loss-of-function of the chickpea protein (CaStGR1) involved in chlorophyll catabolism. We tested the wild type and green cotyledon lines for components of adaptations to dry environments and traits linked to agronomic performance in different experimental systems and different levels of water availability. We found that the plant processes linked to disrupted CaStGR1 gene did not functionality affect transpiration efficiency or water usage. Photosynthetic pigments in grains, including provitaminogenic carotenoids important for human nutrition, were 2–3-fold higher in the stay-green type. Agronomic performance did not appear to be correlated with the presence/absence of the stay-green allele. We conclude that allelic variation in chickpea CaStGR1 does not compromise traits linked to environmental adaptation and agronomic performance, and is a promising genetic technology for biofortification of provitaminogenic carotenoids in chickpea

Novel Resistance Regions Carrying TnaphA6, blaVIM-2, and blaPER-1, Embedded in an ISPa40-Derived Transposon from Two Multi-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa Clinical Isolates

Antibiotic resistance is an alarming problem throughout the world and carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa has been cataloged as critical in the World Health Organization list of microorganisms in urgent need for the development of new antimicrobials. In this work, we describe two novel resistance regions responsible for conferring a multidrug resistance phenotype to two clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa (Pa873 and Pa6415) obtained from patients hospitalized in the ICU of University Hospital of Uruguay. Bacterial identification and antibiotic susceptibility tests were performed using MALDI-TOF and the Vitek 2 system, respectively. WGS was performed for both isolates using Oxford Nanopore Technologies and Illumina and processed by means of hybrid assembly. Both isolates were resistant to ceftazidime, cefepime, piperacillin–tazobactam, aztreonam, and imipenem. Strain Pa6415 also showed resistance to ciprofloxacin. Both strains displayed MICs below the susceptibility breakpoint for CAZ-AVI plus 4 mg/L of aztreonam as well as cefiderocol. Both resistance regions are flanked by the left and right inverted repeats of ISPa40 in two small regions spanning 39.3 and 35.6 kb, for Pa6415 and Pa873, respectively. The resistance region of Pa6415 includes TnaphA6, and the new Tn7516 consists of IRi, In899, qacEΔ1-sul1-ISCR1, qnrVC6-ISCR1-blaPER-1-qacEΔ1-sul1, araJ-like, IS481-like tnpA, ISPa17, and IRR. On the other hand, the resistance region of Pa873 includes Tnaph6 and the new Tn7517 (IRi, In899, qacEΔ1-sul1, ISCR1–blaPER-1–qacEΔ1-sul1, araJ-like, IS481-like tnpA, ISPa17, and IRR). It is necessary to monitor the emergence of genetic structures that threaten to invalidate the available therapeutic resources

Novel Resistance Regions Carrying Tn<i>aphA6</i>, <i>bla</i>_VIM-2, and <i>bla</i>_PER-1, Embedded in an IS<i>Pa40</i>-Derived Transposon from Two Multi-Resistant <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> Clinical Isolates

Antibiotic resistance is an alarming problem throughout the world and carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa has been cataloged as critical in the World Health Organization list of microorganisms in urgent need for the development of new antimicrobials. In this work, we describe two novel resistance regions responsible for conferring a multidrug resistance phenotype to two clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa (Pa873 and Pa6415) obtained from patients hospitalized in the ICU of University Hospital of Uruguay. Bacterial identification and antibiotic susceptibility tests were performed using MALDI-TOF and the Vitek 2 system, respectively. WGS was performed for both isolates using Oxford Nanopore Technologies and Illumina and processed by means of hybrid assembly. Both isolates were resistant to ceftazidime, cefepime, piperacillin–tazobactam, aztreonam, and imipenem. Strain Pa6415 also showed resistance to ciprofloxacin. Both strains displayed MICs below the susceptibility breakpoint for CAZ-AVI plus 4 mg/L of aztreonam as well as cefiderocol. Both resistance regions are flanked by the left and right inverted repeats of ISPa40 in two small regions spanning 39.3 and 35.6 kb, for Pa6415 and Pa873, respectively. The resistance region of Pa6415 includes TnaphA6, and the new Tn7516 consists of IRi, In899, qacEΔ1-sul1-ISCR1, qnrVC6-ISCR1-blaPER-1-qacEΔ1-sul1, araJ-like, IS481-like tnpA, ISPa17, and IRR. On the other hand, the resistance region of Pa873 includes Tnaph6 and the new Tn7517 (IRi, In899, qacEΔ1-sul1, ISCR1–blaPER-1–qacEΔ1-sul1, araJ-like, IS481-like tnpA, ISPa17, and IRR). It is necessary to monitor the emergence of genetic structures that threaten to invalidate the available therapeutic resources

Perspectives on Males and Singing

Over the centuries, there has been reluctance among boys and men to become involved in some forms of singing. Perspectives on Males and Singing tackles this conundrum head-on as the first academic volume to bring together leading thinkers and practitioners who share their insights on the involvement of males in singing. The authors share research that analyzes the axiomatic male disinclination to sing, and give strategies designed to engage males more successfully in performing vocal music emphasizing the many positive effects it can have on their lives. Inspired by a meeting at the Australian symposium ‘Boys and Voices’, which focused on the engagement of boys in singing, the volume includes contributions from leading authorities in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United States and Europe

Results of mixed-model analysis of variance results on traits associated with mechanisms of salinity avoidance and tolerance.

<p>Results of mixed-model analysis of variance results on traits associated with mechanisms of salinity avoidance and tolerance.</p

Formação de Professores: O Projeto “Bolsa Mestrado” em Discussão - : http://dx.doi.org/10.15603/1982-8993/ml.v1n2p183-205

The article presents results of the investigation carried out in the sense of questioning the real potential (or not) of a qualifying action for the members of the teaching staff of the General Educational Office of São Paulo, of professional specialization, of continuing studies in Post-graduation Programs, recognized by CAPES (Coordination for Improvement of Higher Education Personnel), objectifying the improvement of the public education of São Paulo, considering the project named "Master Scholarship." In the perspective of the accumulated knowledge in respect to the relations between researching and teaching (André, 2004 and 2007; Ludke, 2001; Santos, 2001), questioning the senses and meanings given by teachers members of the Project, to their self process lived in the Program for Post - Graduation Stricto Sensu, in a Master's degree. Considering the results from the interviews carried out with professionals of the state public network of education, contemplated with the Masters Scholarship, in fact, it has represented an important achievement in terms of personal/professional qualification. However, the monitoring of such professionals in the quotidian of their work, whether in the classroom or in the management of policies, has not been charactering as a consistent action to enhance the work of these professionals, so that the "Masters Scholarship" shall not be more like an opportunity to exit the classroom and, indeed, as the prospect of a better performance in teaching or in the management of public education.El artículo presenta resultados de las investigaciones realizadas con la intención de cuestionar las posibilidades reales (o no) de una acción formativa para los integrantes del cuadro del magisterio de la Secretaria de Estado da Educación de São Paulo, de especialización profesional, de continuidad de estudios en Programas de Pos-Graduación, reconocidos por CAPES, visando la mejoría de la enseñanza pública paulista, considerando el nombrado Proyecto "Beca Maestría". Bajo la perspectiva del conocimiento acumulado respecto a las relaciones entre pesquisa y decencia (André, 2004 y 2007; Ludke, 2001; Santos, 2001) cuestionamos los sentidos y significados atribuidos, por profesores integrantes del Proyecto, al propio proceso vivido en un Programa de Pos-Graduación S*tricto Sensu*, en una Maestría. Considerando los resultados de las entrevistas realizadas con profesionales de la red pública estadual de enseñanza, contemplados con la Beca Maestría, se nota que el Proyecto Beca Maestría, de hecho, representó una conquista importante en termos de formación personal/profesional. Sin embargo, el acompañamiento de tales profesionales en su cotidiano de trabajo, sea en las aulas o en la gestión de políticas, no viene caracterizándose como una acción consistente en el sentido de valorizar el trabajo de esos profesionales, para que la "Beca Maestría" no se constituya como más una posibilidad de salida del aula y, sí, como una perspectiva de mejor desempeño en decencia o en la gestión de la enseñanza pública.O artigo apresenta resultados das investigações realizadas no sentido de questionar as reais possibilidades (ou não) de uma ação formativa para os integrantes do quadro do magistério da Secretaria de Estado da Educação de São Paulo, de especialização profissional, de continuidade de estudos em Programas de Pós-Graduação, reconhecidos pela CAPES, com vistas à melhoria do ensino público paulista, considerando o chamado Projeto "Bolsa Mestrado". Na perspectiva do conhecimento acumulado a respeito das relações entre pesquisa e docência (André, 2004 e 2007; Ludke, 2001; Santos, 2001) problematizamos os sentidos e significados atribuídos, por professores integrantes do Projeto, ao próprio processo vivido num Programa de Pós-Graduação Stricto Sensu, num Mestrado. Considerando resultados de entrevistas realizadas com profissionais da rede pública estadual de ensino, contemplados com a Bolsa Mestrado, evidencia-se que o Projeto Bolsa Mestrado, de fato, representou uma conquista importante em termos de formação pessoal/profissional. Contudo, o acompanhamento de tais profissionais no cotidiano de seu trabalho, seja na sala de aula ou na gestão de políticas, não vem se caracterizando como uma ação consistente no sentido de valorizar o trabalho desses profissionais, para que o "Bolsa Mestrado" não se constitua como mais uma possibilidade de saída da sala de aula e, sim, como uma perspectiva de melhor desempenho na docência ou na gestão do ensino público

Origin of population offspring environmental effects on offspring traits.

<p>Origin of population means and one standard error for significant effects found for (A) days to first flowering, (B) leaf area, (C) carbon acquisition rate, and (D) leaf water content. Non-saline origins are shown with open circles and saline origins are shown with closed circles. Symbols with different letters indicate which means are significantly different at <i>P</i> < 0.05.</p